Palin India Trip Raises 2012 Speculation

Sarah Palin is traveling to India this month, and the former vice presidential candidate’s trip is raising speculation that it’s an effort to polish foreign policy credentials for a possible presidential run in 2012.

Palin’s visit also allows her to build bridges to a friendly ally — and score some points with Indian-American voters in the States, Politico pointed out. President Obama’s first state dinner was for India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. More importantly both Democrats and Republicans are trying to build support with Indian-American voters and donors. They are among the fastest-growing, and most affluent, groups in the country, more than 2.5 million strong.

“Basically, the growing clout of Indian-Americans in relation to their numbers here is a subject of growing interest in India,” Chidanand Rajghatta, the longtime Washington correspondent for The Times of India, told Politico.

And that clout is more pronounced, he said, because “most Indians who come here or are in the U.S., first generation or second generation, they are the top of the top, the elites.”

Palin was also an important supporter of Nikki Haley after she launched her bid for governor of South Carolina, a quest that was followed extensively in the press in India, Politico reported.

Sarah Palin is traveling to India this month, and the former vice presidential candidate s trip is raising speculation that it s an effort to polish foreign policy credentials for a possible presidential run in 2012.Palin s visit also allows her to build bridges to a...